Point A to B
by Gogotoofast
Summary: Tadashi is saved by GoGo. Awesome. But now they got to talk about their feelings for each other. Not awesome. Here is what I hope to be a fluffy and angsty Tomadashi story about two characters who sometimes have a hard time talking about the things they want. Rating may change, but it's T for curses.
1. Chapter 1

The crowd was cheering, the enthusiastic claps and hollers could be heard from outside the building. Hiro Hamada's microbots were the most amazing thing anyone there had seen in their lives, and were making it very clear. And at the center of this commotion, being the loudest and most intense was his family; one part the older, smaller one and one part new one that he had managed to make over the past weeks working on his project.

When his presentation ended, he stepped down from the podium. The entire gang rushed forward, with Tadashi at the front to congratulate his little brother, excitedly fist bumping and cheering.

"Hiro that was fantastic!" gushed Honey Lemon.

"Good job little dude," Wasabi, being congratulatory and polite as ever.

"That was the SICKEST thing I have ever seen!" said Fred, shaking with excitement.

And GoGo, well, she just gave a light punch to the arm. All paired with a smirk and a "good one kiddo."

"Ow. But thanks," winced Hiro, rubbing his arm. GoGo rolled her eyes as if to say, _Oh come on, it wasn't THAT hard. _

The group continued chattering and gushing about Hiro as she decided to hang back and observe a bit, as she was prone to do. Sure, she was proud and happy for him, but what really what made her happy was seeing all her friends this excited. For weeks they had been rallying together, helping out, spending time together. While she would never admit it aloud, she was glad that she could have that time to spend with her friends, seeing them with this light in their eyes, the kind that only happens when you care deeply about something.

Speaking of light, she also couldn't help but notice Tadashi-he was absolutely beaming. Talking excitedly to Hiro, while the younger sheepishly grinned. GoGo smirked internally; it was no secret how much Tadashi cared for his little brother. Obviously, it made sense, considering how small their family was. Though she really did sometimes think he got overly involved, too over-protective. How many nights had he bailed on hanging out because he had to chase after Hiro in a bot fight? How many times had he complained about his wasted potential? Honestly, GoGo was of the mindset that if he really had wanted his little brother to grow up, he would have had to let him be on his own sometimes. Let him make mistakes and pay for the consequences, whether it be getting arrested or beat up in a fight. Give him a couple times of not being saved, and then maybe he would finally learn he wasn't invincible.

But getting to know the big brother, she knew he could never do that. He was too empathetic, and his heart was always on his sleeve, ready to care about every little problem any person had, especially those belonging to people he cared about. Hell, his final project was going to be a robotic nurse, because he wanted to help people. GoGo remembered when she first heard about it-_how selfless can a guy be? _Everyone else's projects, including her own, were just things they liked and thought were cool. They had the access to the technology, so why not? And there was Tadashi Hamada, working day in and day out, coding, reading up on medical procedures, to create a lovable creature that could help anyone.

She even asked him about it one day-_what about you? Isn't there something you really wanted to do in your work?_

_He had stared at her blankly for a moment, before smiling and shrugging. "I just want to help people. Make them feel less alone in their scary moments."_

_She was now the one to be caught off guard-it was late at the lab, and the two were taking a well-deserved coffee break. Well, technically Tadashi was drinking tea and she was having a RedBull, but same difference right? _

_She tried to shrug off the weird, sharp pang in her chest his statement had given her (was it sympathy? Pity? The RedBull? Ew, woman up GoGo)._

_"__Ugh, obviously Mr. Prince Charming. Your martyr complex knows no bounds." She said, blowing a bubble of her gum. _

_However, she realized she might have sounded too harsh when she noticed the look on Tadashi's face, a mix of surprise and hurt. She uncomfortably popped her bubble and brought it back inside her mouth, pressing it to her cheek and prepared herself to speak. _

_"__I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I just—"_

_"__No, it's okay," he assured her. He took off his hat and looked down at it in his hands. "You might be right. And maybe I'm like this because of my parents, or my brother or maybe I was born like this. And I know I don't take the best care of myself all the time or come off as over protective as a result. But I guess I just really like to see other people happy and safe. I know what it's like to feel…the opposite of that and I don't wish that on anybody." _

_And then, despite the bags under his eyes and his hat-hair, he smiled that lovely gentle smile of his at her. "Now is that so wrong?"_

_Again, she felt that pang in her chest. Here was a guy, who had gone through the unthinkable at a young age, took care of his brother, busted his ass to get into university, and yet he still smiled like he was the luckiest guy in the world. GoGo had her hardships too, but not as many as he had. Yet, she was being the bitter one. _

_"__N-no." she finally managed. "It's great what you're trying to do. It really is. It's going to help so many people, and it will all be thanks to you."_

_Tadashi gave a breathy chuckle, mumbling "aw shucks" before going back to his tea. The silence as the two drank their caffeinated beverages was no longer tense and both were grateful for it. _

_GoGo hardly ever thought of helping most people-sure, she'd be loyal for the people she managed to have in her inner circle, and she wouldn't necessarily pass by an innocent person who could use a hand (give an elderly person a ride, buy a meal for a homeless person, help a lost little kid find their parents in the mall etc.) But everybody else? She figured those people could help themselves, or that they didn't really deserve help because most people were assholes. But looking at Tadashi, this kid whom the world gave nothing but hell at a young age, and just thought about what he could give back to it, well, she wanted to believe that most people were worth helping too. _

This memory was quickly playing through her head when she noticed Tadashi glance at her. She realized that during her reverie, she had been staring. But she sure as hell wasn't going to allow herself to be embarrassed about it, so she smirked at him and mouthed "Congrats" to him. He smiled at her and winked.

The pang in her chest came back with a vengeance, threatening to double her over. Luckily, no one noticed her sudden stiffness what with industrialist Alistair Krei suddenly coming over to talk to Hiro…

* * *

><p>"Wow, I still can't believe you turned down Krei," remarked Wasabi.<p>

"Yeah, you could be LOADED right now!" exclaimed Fred. "A boy genius billionaire by day, and by night you use your wealth and smarts to protect the city and go only by the mysterious name—"

"Hey, what I really wanted was to get into this school and I did." said Hiro. "No amount of money beats that." He waved around his acceptance letter again, practically clutching onto it as if it were made of precious materials.

The gang cheered and Aunt Cass exclaimed dinner would be her treat. They all began to follow her excitedly towards the promise of free food.

"Um, hey. We'll catch up to you later, alright?" said Tadashi, glancing at Hiro who seemed surprised at first but then smiled back at him.

GoGo wondered that was like, to have that kind of bond where you have deep talks and exchanges with only looks. There was nothing like that in her family for sure. She always felt like she was going too fast to figure out what people were trying to say. Mostly because she didn't care about their thoughts. A little bit because she was worried they wouldn't care about hers.

There was a quick goodbye, with Aunt Cass saying they better not take too long if they didn't want to miss the food (and considering Fred's appetite, the supply possibly not being enough would be a legitimate concern). With a hum of agreement the pair of brothers walked away, Tadashi turned back and his eyes fell on GoGo. He gave a slight wave before continuing on.

_Pang. _

_Ugh, stupid chest. Stupid Tadashi. _She chose not to dwell on it and catch up with the rest of her friends.

They were halfway to the parking lot when GoGo realized she didn't have her key for her bike. _Shit._ Sure, her bike was state of the art, and the lock was this highly advanced one that would shock the perpetrator is they tried to cut it or pick at it or rewire it. It couldn't easily be stolen-she had designed it that way.

But it still needed a key.

"I got to go back. I must have dropped it somewhere." _Maybe because you were distracted by Tadashi _a little voice inside her head cooed, almost too sweetly. She punched it in the face all the way back down.

GoGo liked to imagine that she could do that with her unwanted feelings or thoughts, just punch them away.

There were calls for her to come back, offers to drive, saying she could come get it tomorrow, but she was already waving them off as she headed back to the building where the showcase had been, scanning the ground. Sure, her main bike wasn't the speedy one with the zero-gravity wheels, but it was still pretty damn fast and she'd be damned if she was going to leave it overnight on a college campus.

She had been so busy looking at the ground, she didn't notice something was wrong until she heard shouts and screams from a bit in front of her. People were running past her, so she ran towards where they were coming from (hey, sometimes you gotta follow the excitement). It wasn't long before she was in front of the building on fire, blazing up like an inferno against the night sky.

_Shit, this is bad. _All the experiments that people worked so hard on, destroyed. And was everybody out? She quickly looked around, trying to assess what kind of damage, to see if she knew anybody.

And a ways off, maybe 50 yards away were the Hamada brothers, who were with a girl pointing to the building. She then noticed Hiro holding on to Tadashi, who appeared to be saying something.

He then began to move away.

Now, GoGo had always been fast: a fast runner, a fast cyclist, fast driver, anything that moved her from point A to be B in as little time as possible. She liked to feel the wind against her face, the rev of an engine, her heart pumping against her chest, her adrenaline surging through her.

But never in life had she moved faster when she chased after Tadashi. It wasn't even a conscious choice, and her body practically moved on its own, as if it knew before she did that she had to stop him, because point B had suddenly become so, so important.

She reached him on the stairs, and tackled him hard. It wasn't graceful, and they took a bit of tumble down to the hard cement, their bodies hitting with a thud.

"GoGo?" he said, trying to sit up despite her weight on him, his bruised elbows and skull that had grazed the pavement. "GoGo get off! Professor Callaghan is in there and I got to—"

He was cut off by the explosion, and from the force and noise, both of them blacked out.

* * *

><p>GoGo came to first, Hiro crouched over them and calling out to them.<p>

"GoGo! Are you ok?!" he was practically screaming in her face.

"Hiro, please," she said, rubbing her ears. Damn, that ringing was loud.

Both noticed that she was still on Tadashi.

"Tadashi? Wake up? Come on dude," she said, tapping his face lightly and moving off him, lest she was blocking his air supply. Kneeling, she studied his face, some ashes had gotten on them, but surely he was fine? He had to be fine.

_Oh please if there is a god let him be fine. _

Hiro was on the verge of tears, now yelling his brother's name.

The scene and what it could mean was too much to bear for GoGo.

"Tadashi get up!" and she slapped his chest.

And with that, he awoke with a jolt, coughing first and then groaning.

"Ugh my head…"

"Tadashi! You're ok!" Hiro grabbed his brother into a hug, trembling at the near loss. GoGo tried to steady herself to stand up.

"Hiro, oh my god, I'm here, it's ok. Everything is ok. Are_ you_ ok?" Tadashi asked, with Hiro violently nodding. GoGo had to resist the slight urge to roll her eyes again. _Looks at his brother before himself. Typical. _Not that she could really blame them, she supposed.

"Wait…" Tadashi said, the other two following his gaze going to the building behind them.

He quickly tried to stand up. "Callaghan might still be in there! Someone—"

GoGo placed a firm hand on his shoulder, forcing him to sit back down. "Oh no you don't. I didn't just save your ass so you could run into the burning building AGAIN."

Tadashi blinked at her, the realization slowly dawning. "You-you _did _save me. So, that actually happened?"

"It did," Hiro said quietly. "She got to you before the building exploded. I had no idea where she even came from but if she hadn't, I-I-I-" he began to stutter, the tears threatening to leak

Tadashi put his arms back around him. "Shh it's alright. I'm here," holding his brother close. . GoGo's heart softened at the sight-she never pegged Hiro as a crier, but Tadashi must have meant that much for him to be reduced like this.

_And how much does he mean to you? _Said the cooing voice again. She tried to shake it away. Now was not the time. The trio stayed there quietly for a moment, GoGo standing and the two hugging on the ground, hearing the distant whirring for the fire engines and ambulances.

Yet, he looked back the building.

"I just wanted to help Professor Callaghan," he said softly.

She had wanted to be calm-there was no need to be hysterical with so many other people around, right? She wanted to appear strong and confident; like she always did, but especially now.

But something ugly and red inside GoGo snapped.

" 'Wanting to help' almost just got you killed!" she spat. The brothers looked up at her in surprise at her outburst.

"What the _fuck _where you thinking? Who the _fuck _goes into building when it's like that?" As expletive filled her vocabulary could be, she only reserved the F-word for when she was super pissed.

Tadashi stood up shakily to meet her. "GoGo I was just trying to do the right thing and I didn't think—"

She started to scream. "You didn't think?! Didn't think about leaving your brother and aunt behind? Didn't think about your friends?"

_About me?_

"GoGo please, I-"

She got up real close to his face and pushed her pointer finger to his chest, pressing in hard. "News flash Tadashi," she was practically hissing. "_Being the fucking hero doesn't mean shit if it means fucking up the people who love you._"

He looked as if she had slapped him, but the sad eyes weren't going to work on her this time. She stood her ground, locking him in an angry stare. He tried to match her intensity, his mouth becoming a tight line and his hands clenching into fists.

The two stood like that for a moment, with Hiro just glancing between them. If it would have almost been amusing, to see the rather short GoGo trying to face off with the taller Tadashi, and really managing to be far more intimidating. Amusing if there wasn't a burning building in the background that could have killed them all.

But Tadashi broke down first, loosening his fists and sighing.

And of all things, he pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry GoGo. I didn't mean to worry you like that." He brought his hands up to her hair, cradling her head and pulling her close.

Her eyes widened in shock-whenever she had cursed people off in the past, their usual response wasn't to hug her. Even if that's what she wanted or needed, but was trying to hide her hurt and frustration. She knew it made her seem childish, lashing out because you were hurt, but she was only human. Yet, here was someone who finally recognized that, someone who could always see what she really meant to say. Her arms found their way across his back, and she scrunched her eyes tight against his chest, so she wouldn't cry.

"Really though," he said, slowly pulling back and looking into her face. "Thank you for saving me. I owe you my life."

_Pang. _

_Pang. _

_Pang. _

This was too much-all her feelings were jumbled up (anger, concern, sadness), her ears still ringing, her knees scraped, Hiro right there staring confusedly and worriedly at them. She quickly pulled away.

"Just-just don't do anything that stupid again," she huffed, crossing her arms.

Tadashi looked like he was going to say something more, but by then, Aunt Cass and the gang had spotted them, as well people from the ambulances, asking if they had any injuries.

Through the ride to the hospital and there, the two ended up not talking for the rest of the night. Every time Tadashi glanced over at GoGo, she just looked away.


	2. Chapter 2

The funeral for Callaghan was held a week after. While the official service was private (it appeared he didn't have much family left), there was a vigil and ceremony at the university. Students gathered around the appointed spot, holding candles, laying flowers by a set-up picture. There was no way the amount of students that showed up had all been students of him, but the professor was well known throughout the university, his legacy alone able to break down the even more stoic members of the community.

GoGo had gone-despite having been close to the fire, she had managed no injuries, minus the bruises on her knees. It was a pain in more ways than one- her sore legs couldn't be moving enough for use of her regular bike now, and thus had to take some time off from courier gig. She was getting around with her moped these days.

At the service, she saw all her friends, including Tadashi. She hadn't spoken to him since that night. She still wasn't in the mood to. Wasabi, Honey and Fred were all concerned about it, but had found that asking either of them individually over the phone what was going on proved to be fruitless. Thankfully, because of the somberness of the event it didn't allow for much free discussion in the first place, and no one in the gang felt comfortable to question either of them when they were both present. However, the entire time, GoGo felt Tadashi looking at her.

When it ended and people started to spread out, she nudged Honey Lemon.

"Hey, I'm going to go take a ride. See you at home later?"

"Of course Gogo. But the guys and I were thinking about getting something to eat. Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Honey would have completely understood if her roommate went off for some alone time-it's just what she did sometimes. But maybe now was the time to patch certain things up…

Gogo glanced past her to see Fred, Wasabi and Tadashi, huddled and talking lightly. She looked away when Tadashi glanced back at her.

"I don't think so," shaking her head.

Honey gave a sympathetic smile, looking a little disappointed but Gogo knew she wouldn't force the issue.

She called out a quick goodbye and started heading over to bike-in the morning, she and Honey had ridden it. It was sometimes an awkward fit, Honey being so much taller than her short roommate yet having to bend to cling to her properly. But even though she sometimes complained about helmet hair, both Gogo and Honey kind of liked this little part of their living arrangement, this occasional sharing the ride.

Gogo felt a little bad about dipping out then, but figured that Honey would be happier hanging out with their friends on a day like this. Everybody was different when it came to gaining energy-some people needed to be around people, and some people needed time to be alone.

"GoGo! Wait up!"

Not that it always mattered what somebody wanted.

She glanced back at Tadashi who had managed to catch up with her.

"How are you feeling?" was the first thing she asked, crossing her arms. She might have to act civil but hell if she was going to exchange false pleasantries.

"Oh! Uh, I'm alright. I didn't really have any injuries. Just a bump on the head. You?"

"Just a few scrapes. Knees still hurt so I can't bike too much."

"That sucks. I'm sorry."

"It's ok. It's not like I got _burned._"

Tadashi winced but GoGo kept a straight face. She knew she was a bit notorious for not letting things go super easily, but she didn't think anyone really ever let anything hurtful go. That could give people the impression they could mess with you again.

He rubbed his neck and looked around the campus. After several long moments, he glanced back at her and gave a shy, crooked smile.

"Do you want to take a walk?"

She gave a loud, dramatic sigh. "And by "walk" you actually mean we are going to talk and sort through our emotional bullshit?"

He chuckled. "Yes, I do."

GoGo visibly grit her teeth. She hated talking about her feelings, but to be honest, she didn't really want to keep this radio silence going on. After being so close to losing him, it would almost be stupid to not try to keep their bond close.

_But wouldn't you want that bond to be closer hmmm? _Said that stupid, gross little voice inside her.

She threw her arms up as a sign of defeat. "Fine! We'll do this walk/talk thing that seems so to be your style." She walked past and ahead of him, and he followed.

The campus was absolutely dead-classes were cancelled for the week. So many people were rattled by the explosion and the loss of a prominent member that the administration just decided it would be in the best interest for everyone's emotional state.

Still, there was no denying the modern beauty of the university. Despite the urban and brightly colored city surrounding them, the campus managed to be a modern and soothing oasis. The shiny campus buildings actually blended well with the campus design of lakes, gently curved sidewalks and greenery. A good reputation and plenty of wealthy benefactors tend to help with that.

They walked in silence for a bit. They looked straight ahead, ambling, never really deciding which direction to go, but managing to keep the same step.

It was GoGo that decided to speak first. She got in front, spun around and directly faced him to stop him dead in his tracks.

"You wanted to talk. So talk."

She studied him in that moment: wearing pants and a long sleeved shirt, all black It hadn't been a formal service, but most students had shown up in funeral attire anyway. While GoGo regularly wore all-black ensembles, to her there was something unnerving about Tadashi wearing it.

He rubbed his neck again, and sighed. He then straightened up and looked directly at her.

"If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't be alive right now. I can never thank you enough and I'm sorry that I scared you."

She almost wanted to say _pft, I wasn't scared. _But she knew if she tried to say it aloud it would sound clearly like a lie.

"But—" he continued. "I really was only trying to do what was right. I _still _feel like I could have done something, anything. I think about how maybe, just maybe, I could have gotten inside and saved—"

"Tadashi you fucking idiot."

He stopped mid-sentence, shocked at her snarl. Okay, maybe the cursing wasn't necessary, but she couldn't believe she still had to deal with this guy with the puppy dog eyes and matyr complex. She was practically shaking, her chest was so tight.

_What's your fucking deal? Why can't you see past yourself for just one minute?_

"Are you seriously telling me you feel guilty? That you'd rather have risked your life than be alive right now, with your family, with us?"

_With me?_

"GoGo that's not what I said. I just—"

"Shut it." And he promptly did.

To calm herself down (she couldn't do that if she had to look at his shocked/concerned face), she looked down at the ground. After a deep breath she quietly said, "Look, I know it sucks to want to help but you can't, to think about how if you did one thing differently, everything would be okay."

Another deep breath. "And if hadn't gotten to you in time, I would be feeling the same way. You were right. I was scared. More so than I have ever been in my life."

When she looked back up, Tadashi's brows were still furrowed upwards, the warmth behind them encouraging her to continue.

"Just…why?" She shrugged her shoulders, and shook her head sadly. "Why does it always have to be you? Why do you think you're the only one that can save the world? You just can't. And you can't feel bad about that."

Silence hung in the air. Tadashi shifted on his feet and looked everywhere except towards her. GoGo got the idea that maybe he had heard this before. She surely couldn't be the first person that he confessed his survivor's guilt to…

"Well, what about you? Why did you save me then?"

"What?"

He took a step closer to her, now staring straight at her. "You say you can't save everyone, but you tried for me."

"I-I didn't need a reason! I saw you about to go in and I knew I—"

"—had to help?"

Her face burned. Shit, he trapped her with his own line of reasoning. But like hell he was going to feel justified in his reckless actions.

"Look, you're my friend, one of my best friends. I would do it for any of you. And I was saving you from _yourself._"

_Your damn, irritating, charming, beautiful self. _

"And FURTHER more," she said, blocking the inner voice. "It was one person. One person I care about. I know I can't save everyone, but if I could do it for someone I'm close to and definitely knew I could reach them in time? Well, that's a different story."

He looked at her, neutral expression on his face. He then broke into a chuckle.

"I suppose it is," giving her a warm smile.

_A different story indeed, _mused the voice.

GoGo chose to ignore it, along with the little thump she felt in her chest. Instead, she lurched forward and caught Tadashi in a tight hug. He gasped, and his body language didn't hide his surprise, but soon enough he had his arms around her back and was squeezing her just as hard.

"I'm glad that you're okay," she said against him, practically breathing it against his chest.

He tilted his head against her hair, feeling it tickle his cheek. "I'm glad I'm okay too."

The two held onto each other like that for a bit, basking in the comfort that is physical reassurance. They soon pulled apart, a little misty eyed but smiling. GoGo was quick to wipe her eyes, of course wanting to hide any evidence, and Tadashi laughed; it was so typical of her. She responded by punching him in the shoulder, but with her trademark smirk.

They walked back to her bike, his being parked in another lot. He waved her off and she gave a two finger salute before putting her helmet on.

On the ride home she suddenly remembered how he smelled from the hug, clean and just a bit minty.

_A different story could lead to something else you know…_

She revved her engine, taking a sharp turn.

_Get a grip girl, _she thought, letting that be her last clear thought before she focused on barreling through the narrow streets of San Fransokyo, pretending that her rapid heartbeat was just the adrenaline rush.

_A/N: Thank you for all the lovely comments on the last chapter! Feel free to let me know any comments, questions, and/or concerns. _


	3. Chapter 3

"Honey Lemon? You home?" Gogo called, hours after she had last seen her, carrying her helmet by her side while trying to take off her shoes at the door.

"I'm in the kitchen!" responded her cheery suite-mate.

GoGo sniffed the air, trying to pick out what treats were being concocted this time.

"Hmm definitely chocolate. And maybe some…strawberries?" she leaned on the little island in the middle of their small kitchen.

"Raspberries actually," said Honey, without looking from the pot she was stirring. "I got this amazing recipe for a syrup that I've been meaning to try out."

GoGo noticed that Honey had changed from her black dress to her at-home outfit: pink thermal leggings with yellow shorts and a flowy pink top, hair piled on top of her head. Even at home, baking, with little bits of flour on her arms and hair, Honey seemed to find a way to look like she was coming down from the world's cutest and girliest runway.

"Oh!" she suddenly exclaimed. "While the cake was baking I made some mint julep tea. It should be cold enough by now. Get it from the fridge please?"

"How do you ever have the energy to do all of this?" GoGo muttered, as she moved to get the pitcher. However, she was secretly thanking her lucky stars that she not only had as a friend but also a roommate one of the best damn bakers in the city. It certainly didn't help her sweet tooth, one that she often tried to satisfy with her never ending sticks of gum.

Though she wasn't going to say no to fresh iced tea and cake.

"Did you get lunch with the guys?" she asked while pouring the tea into two glasses, now sitting at one of the stools of the kitchen-island.

"Yeah," answered Honey. "It was pretty quick bite. I don't think any of us were feeling too festive. But get this: Fred paid for all of us!"

"With what money?" snorted GoGo. She was pretty sure their resident slacker-friend lived under a bridge, more than content to scare innocent passerby in his mascot costume (which she didn't doubt he wore for occasions beyond raising school spirit).

"I really have no idea. But when we talked about splitting the check, he went "tut-tut" to me and Wasabi and said it was his treat today. He even had a credit card on him and everything cleared before we could say anything."

Honey turned off the stuff and turned around to lean on the island. "That boy can be so strange," she sighed, before taking a sip of her tea.

"Tell me about it," said GoGo with an eye roll.

She took a sip of her tea, and the mint hint her senses immediately.

_Face pushed against black fabric, rubbing against cheek, the feeling of being squeezed ,arms around back, the scent of mint lingering on a bare neck that was so close…_

_Pang. _

She quickly put her glass down.

"What's wrong? Do you not like it?"

"No, no Honey. It's delicious. I just…am not thirsty?" she offered, though it sounded kind of hollow.

However, Honey Lemon hummed, as if accepting the answer but not really hearing it. She shifted on feet a little, taking a few quick glances behind her at the cake in the oven and syrup on the stove. She started intensely at her tea, twirling the drink in her cup as she did so, as if mixing a new chemistry project. GoGo knew and dreaded what this little dance-of-nervousness was leading up to…

"Ok, so you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, but I saw Tadashi go after you when you left so I was wondering…"

_Aaaand there it is. _

GoGo sighed. "I bet this made a great conversation topic at lunch."

"We didn't-! It's not like that! I mean, not a lot…" A flustered Honey caught the raised, skeptical eyebrow of her friend.

"Okay, we totally talked about it," she said, dropping her shoulders, the jig being up.

The dark haired girl sighed again. Having such dedicated friends was great sometimes, but if often meant that any personal business wasn't really allowed to be such.

"Just please tell me you patched things up," she heard Honey saying. "Seeing you two not talk is weird. None of us really know what happened but—"

"Honey, it's fine. We're fine. I mean, me and him are fine."

"Wait… really?"

"Yeah…" she said, stirring her own glass now. "It's just that, after the fire…it was such a close call…I don't think neither me nor him knew how to process it exactly."

"Oh GoGo he must know that if it weren't for you who knows-"

"But!" she cut her off again. "We talked it out. We're ok, I think. I know he's my friend, he knows I'm his friend, and that we can count on each other. That's all that matters."

_Just being friends. _

"Well that's good," Honey breathed a sigh of relief. GoGo hummed in agreement.

"And…" Honey started slowly, eyes wide at her friend. "That's all you talked about? The night of the fire?"

"Well yeah. That's what we were fighting about. I mean, I wouldn't call it fighting. He can just be so damn stubborn sometimes."

"Who is saying this right now?" said Honey with grin.

"Wow, rude," but GoGo was already smirking. She couldn't really deny it.

"But I was just thinking," Honey continued. "Maybe there was something else you two were," she curled her fingers into air quotes, " 'not-fighting' about and that's why you were acting so awkward around each other."

_She knows. _

But GoGo pushed that thought away. "Dude, there was nothing else to talk about. Tadashi and I are friends. We just sometimes have our own ideas of…what's right at the end of the day."

"If you say so."

The blonde turned back around to check on her cake, but as she was bending down her suitemate could have sworn she heard some muttering.

"How can two people be so stubborn about their feelings…"

"What was that?" asked GoGo, narrowing her eyes.

Honey shot straight back up, her glasses obstructing the glance in her friend's direction.

"I didn't say anything," was the quick reply. Too quick.

"Are you sure? Because it sure sounded like you said something."

"GoGo I…I must have just been talking to the cake!"

"The cake," she deadpanned.

"Yeah, I do that all the time. Who knows what I'm actually saying. But whispering sweet nothings makes sweets even sweeter don't you know hee hee!" Honey was laughing at her own quip, but there was an awkwardness to it, a forcedness. She turned around again so she wouldn't have to face her again, and paid way too much attention to her stove.

GoGo stared at her friend's back, trying to bore holes. But the other remained steadfast, stiffly standing over the raspberry concoction and stirring her stuff a bit over zealously.

She dropped her stare. She knew what she heard, but if Honey wasn't going to woman up to admit it, not much she could do, now is there? She rolled her eyes internally at wondering what gossip the three must have gotten up to at lunch.

_You know Honey is not dumb. She picks up on things, even when you don't want to. _ _The others too. They know all about your cute little—_

GoGo clenched her fist so hard she left nail indentations. To distract herself she went in for a big gulp of her still unfinished tea.

_Mint. Skin. Face against your hair. _

_Pang. _

And just as quickly she started choking, coughing and sputtering out bits of liquid.

_Even a smell makes you think of him. How cute. And pathetic. _

"GoGo! Are you alright?" Honey asked in alarm, seeing her taking shallow breathes. The girl in question nodded, and took a small sip this time, trying to soothe her irritated throat.

"Jeez. Didn't anyone ever tell you to not just chug things down? Life isn't always a race!"

"Yes, _mommy_ I know. Thank you." She got off her stool, pushing her glass to the side.

"Where are you going? The cake is almost done!" she said with a pout.

"I'm just gonna go take a shower. Feeling kind of grimy. I'll eat some after ok?"

GoGo was already at her room grabbing her towel before hearing any reply, if any, of Honey's.

After stripping and letting the water run, she stepped into the spray. She usually showered with cold water, but this time she cranked up the temperature to calm her nerves. She rubbed her face, feeling the steam coming off her skin and the heat soaking into her hair.

She leaned her forehead against the tile, just hearing and feeling the water fall around her.

_I'm fucked aren't I? _Not altogether sure who she was addressing in her mental landscape.

_Woman, _answered that little voice, sassy as ever, _it's about time you realized it. _

_A/N: Thank you as always for all the lovely comments. Any constructive criticism is appreciated! Especially grammar errors-I re-read things a million times and I always miss SOMETHING. I'm really going to try to update this once a week, but I am in middle of my senior year project and that takes priority (unfortunately). Honestly, writing about these losers awkwardly dance around one another is one of the few forms of stress relief I have that doesn't feel so utterly unproductive. And at least it's something that helps me to be creative while most of my other writing just feels like busy work for the academic machine. _

_That being said, the next chapter may take a little bit longer to come out. But this time it will have some interaction with Hiro and Tadashi, so that should be fun. I really love their relationship and feel bad that I couldn't have included more of it thus far. Until next time! _


	4. Chapter 4

When Tadashi walked into the shared room, he found Hiro listlessly staring at his computer screen. He looked up when he heard his brother come in.

"Hey. How was it?"

"It was alright. As nice as these things can go I guess. You could have come."

"It would feel weird. I barely knew the guy, as cool as he is-er, was…" Hiro cringed at his tense faux paux.

"Besides," he continued. "I just feel like it just should have been for the students."

"You're student now too, knucklehead," said Tadashi with a chuckle.

"Oh right," Hiro lightly laughed. "With everything going on, it's still kind of hard to believe."

"Well you better start believing it. Once classes start again you won't be able to laze about anymore. You can finally get on track with your life."

"Pfft yeah bro I get it," he said rolling his eyes. "You must be so proud that I'm now going to be respectable college man and won't stray to the dark side to become a criminal mastermind or whatever you thought was going to happen to me."

"Well calling you a 'man' is a bit pushing it—"

"Hey!"

"But you are right. I am proud of you," he said with a gentle smile.

"You keep saying that you nerd," smirked Hiro, before turning back to his computer, hearing Tadashi laugh a "but it's true," before the two settled into their respective sides in silence. He absent mindedly clicked a few links, listening to his brother move around on his side for a bit, before he seemed to settle into stillness.

"So…" Hiro began. "Was everyone else there?"

"Hm? Oh yeah. Not like we talked much. It was a pretty quiet event. Even Fred was there. But Callaghan never seemed to mind that he was in the lab, so he felt the need to pay his respects."

Hiro hummed in understanding. He continued to stare in Tadashi's direction, whose focus had been turned to a book on his desk. Yet, when he felt his brother's gaze upon him, he looked up.

"What?"

"And…that's all?"

"Hiro, what are you trying to ask?"

He rolled his eyes, not believing his older brother could be so _dense _towards what he was trying to refer to.

"Did you to talk GoGo or not?"

Tadashi's eyebrows shot up. "Wha…What's that about?"

"Oh come on. Everyone knows you two hardly talked. Which is hardly any way to treat someone who saved your life-"

"For your information Hiro," effectively cutting the younger boy off, "she didn't want to talk to _me. _Not the other way around…and how do you know all this anyway?"

"Duh, because Honey, Wasabi and Fred have only been messaging me every day asking about you guys."

Tadashi pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "_Unbelievable._" His well-meaning but meddlesome friends have managed to even pull in his little brother.

"I just don't get what happened. You both have been acting weird since that night…"

_Waking up, dull pain on the back of head but nothing unbearable. He hears his name being called, but his consciousness is not quite there, like slowly waking up early as the shrill of the alarm clock seems to come from the distance. _

_And suddenly, he feels something slam into his chest. Enough to shock him awake with a groan. He opens his eyes, and he sees something he's never seen before: GoGo right in front of his (_wow when did she get so close), _looking more worried than he's ever known her to be. Eyes desperate, pleading at him…why?_

_"__Ugh my head…"_

_"__Tadashi! You're ok!" And just like that his attention is pulled from the girl before him, and brought to his brother, and the chaos around them. But those large brown eyes continue to follow his moves…_

He shook his head of the memory. He really didn't like to think of the night of the fire. He knew he had been (almost) reckless, and yet he couldn't save…

"Tadashi?"

And just like that, his brother again brought him back to the real world.

"Hiro, it's fine. If you must know, we're talking again. I guess we were just a little mad at each other. In a stupid way."

"If it's stupid then it was definitely your fault," said Hiro with an eyeroll.

"Hey!"

"What, were you, like, mad at her for _stopping_ _you?" _

"No! I mean, not really. But I wasn't ever mad, that was a wrong choice of words."

"Then what is a 'right' choice of words?"

He sighed. Why did everyone have to make things so complicated today?

_They are not the complicated ones, you are. _

Tadashi snapped away at the thought, refocusing on Hiro's confused face.

"Look, that night, was…something I never expected. I tried to follow my instinct and it could have gotten me in serious trouble. Not that it would have helped anything."

There was a pause. Hiro could sense a trace of bitterness in his brother's voice with that last sentence; he knew it must have pained Tadashi to be reminded that there were people he could not save when he seemed to spend so much of his time focusing on the general good. But Hiro knew, along with everyone else, that this man was doing his best, and that his best was definitely better than most people's. No one who had ever met Tadashi could say he wasn't a caring soul. Surely his brother knew that?

Hiro wanted to tell him all this. To reach out, to hug him, and to tell him that just like Tadashi showed his love through trying to curb recklessness in others (i.e. mainly Hiro), there were people who loved him back, and, more importantly, that _needed_ him to stick around. To tell him not to feel so guilty…

But Hiro had never been good at articulating himself in emotional discussions and just absentmindedly poked at Megabot on his desk. Thankfully, Tadashi noticed that whatever nuanced thoughts about that night that were laying on his mind might be too heavy for his little brother to handle at the moment. He needed to let Hiro know that he was okay, and that he was _here _for him.

"But the point is, even though GoGo and I are different people with different viewpoints, I'm glad that she caught me in time. That night had a lot going on, between the exhibition, the fire, and hospital. I was overwhelmed."

"And are you really glad that she saved you?"

Tadashi blinked in surprise. His brother wasn't looking at him, but his mouth was held in a tight line.

"Of course I am Hiro. Is there anything that indicated that I'm not?"

_He's not dumb. Maybe he can't read your mind but surely he knows you haven't been sleeping well…_

Hiro's voice cut in. "It's just that I know you. Whether it was me or whoever, you always wanted to help. You seem like you'd beat yourself up about this…" he trailed off, still looking anywhere but his brother.

Tadashi ran a hand through his hair. The second time today he was being called out. Was he really that transparent?

"You know, GoGo said something pretty similar."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and that's what we talked about mostly. I think we both just needed some reassurance that we are both alright. It was a close-call for all of us you know?"

He moved closer to Hiro, and bent at the knees to be eye-level. "I'm just glad that we were ok, and that you were ok. But what matters is that we continue to be there for each other, and she and I promised to continue to do that. So, I don't want you to worry about me anymore. Or GoGo for that matter. It's all fine. So you can just tell everyone else that if they ask."

Hiro laughed and rolled his eyes (but made a mental note to do just that).

"Me worry about you? I think you're getting us confused bro." Emotional confessions may not be his strong suit, but Hiro could certainly lighten a mood.

And Tadashi was thankful for that. "Ah yes, play the part of the unaffected genius. Seems just like yesterday you were clinging to my kneecaps any time you met new people-"

"I was a little kid!"

"You're still a little kid."

Hiro visibly huffed. "One day I'm going to hit my growth spurt, and then you'll be sorry."

"I'll be sure to go on a public apology tour if it ever happens."

"Jerk."

"Brat."

And with that and an exchanged grin, their usual comfort with one another eased its way into their room once more. They were free to banter playfully, even talk about school (and how Hiro still refused to call it anything other than "nerd school"). Eventually they were called down for dinner by Aunt Cass, all three chatting throughout like any other night.

_Tadashi was in his lab, but the room was bright, impossibly bright. The lamps were burning so much he could feel the heat from them. Even the lab equipment is sizzling. _

_He's working on Baymax, but he is hot and sticky to the touch, as if the vinyl is melting. That can't be right…the melted white goo on his hands seems more akin to marshmallow, and the internal skeleton seems to be only half done. Wasn't it finished months ago? _

_"__Low batterryyyy" a robotic, yet slurred voice comes from the pile of goo and robot parts. _

_"__Yeah, yeah buddy I know. Let's try to figure out what's wrong…" his hands go inside the increasing puddle that is forming in front of him. Dear God it's hot and the light is blinding…._

_"__Tadashi!" _

_He turns to see GoGo right behind him. She is wearing his cap for some reason. _

_"__It's time to go," she says, blowing a bubble, utterly unaffected by the stifling heat and brightness in the room. _

_"__I can't. Baymax is…" he gestures to the unrecognizable blob in front of them. _

_"__There is always tomorrow." She is already walking away, the walls seeming to fall away as she does. _

_"__Not always…" he manages before extracting his hand from the mess of a robot he has. _

_She turns back slowly, and all the light around seems to dim, and a rush of cool comes to him. _

_"__Sure there is." He hears a bubble pop._

_And with that, everything goes black…_

Tadashi groggily forces his eyes open. He sits up, realizing that he had pushed off his blanket in his sleep.

Shivering, he pulls it up to cover himself, before laying back. He looks at the ceiling, his eyes now adjusting to the darkened room. It's strange how still things can be in the middle of the night, and he can hear Hiro's soft snores from behind the divider. Feeling annoyingly awake (but knows that it is way too early to start the day), he recounts and tries to process his dream.

While it certainly wasn't pleasant, at least it was more so than his usual dreams of the past week or so. Anxiety dreams were nothing new to Tadashi, but ever since the night of the fire they had some obvious, and reoccurring references: sometimes, he was running into the same building, only for it not to be on fire but have it become a maze that he gets lost in it instead. More than once he dreamed of his own lab on fire. The worst were the ones his friends and brother appeared in, pleading for help in these situations.

But this was the first time he had seen GoGo in one. To be honest, it was kind of a surprise. So much of his thoughts the past week had been of her.

He had told Hiro he had tried to reach out to her, and he did, but whenever she refused to answer, it was actually quite a relief. GoGo could be intimidating for sure, but she wasn't unapproachable, especially for her friends. Tadashi felt the need to explain himself to her, but there were things he was reluctant to explain even to himself. It was strange how at once he wanted to talk about everything with her; the night at the fire, the looks they exchanged, their argument, why his only response to her obvious pain was to hug her…

_"__News flash Tadashi: Being the fucking hero doesn't mean shit if it means fucking up the people who love you._"

_Everything in his body went rigid. He was vaguely aware of Hiro nervously glancing back and forth between them. He wanted to argue back, he wanted to shout how she didn't understand. Okay, maybe what he did was reckless but it was no reason to throw it in his face, to make it seem like caring was a weakness. People's ability to care was this world's only saving grace. If he didn't have someone to care about, if someone hadn't cared about him…She couldn't possibly understand that part about him. His rage balled his fists, trying to come up with a retort. _

_But then he realized she used the word '_love_'. It was out of his general love for people that he did anything-even so far to try and save his mentor from a burning building. But GoGo had basically just done the same for him. All the people he cared most about in this world, who knows how they would have taken his actions? Of course she understood._

_And with that he followed his instinct-he stepped forward and embraced her. He thanked her and held her tight. He felt her go slightly stiff in his arms, no doubt from surprise, but he just needed to let her know that he was there for her. He was there. _

_It was nice to hug her again, _Tadashi thought, recalling the earlier part of the day. It had surprised him when she initiated it, but she probably wanted to imply the same thing that he wanted to after his rescue: that she was there for _him_. How nice it was to be comforted that way, to be secured of one's presence. It could offer so much needed reassurance. GoGo's displays of affection were rare but powerful, and thus offered just that: validation. She had been so warm, and her hair (that reached just under his chin) was smooth. And it always surprised him how despite her small stature and her soft, curved features, he swore he could feel how solid and strong she was…

_Whoa there. Maybe reel it in a little. It was just a hug. Not anything else. _

He knew all about the benefits of physical affection and the rise of endorphins associated with it—he had designed Baymax to be irresistibly huggable for a reason after all. Of course it was pleasant to be affectionate with someone he deeply cared about. And with someone who showed to deeply care about him.

_As a friend. _

Tadashi's drowsiness was slowly returning to him (glancing at the alarm clock, he could he still had several hours before even sunrise). He turned on his side, trying to get comfortable, tucking his arm under his pillow.

He fell asleep to the mental image of GoGo from his dream, looking over her shoulder to ensure him of a tomorrow. He ignored the slight tightness in his chest when he remembered it, the last sensation he felt before sleep overtaking him. He didn't remember anything else he dreamed after that.

_A/N Christ on cracker. Trying to finish this chapter was like giving birth. Why? I couldn't honestly tell you. Sure, I had lots of homework and projects the past couple of weeks, but physically writing this chapter proved to be exhausting. I think because it was bit hard to truly convey Tadashi's emotions: how he has survivor's guilt, but really doesn't want to bother anyone about it? Hopefully that comes across. I think another problem is that originally, this whole fic was only supposed to be about 3 chapters, with maybe an epilogue, but halfway through chapter 2 I kind of went "nahhhh that's not gonna happen." So I gotta restructure the story. But goddammit this chapter is done, and I think it turned out alright? Also, anxiety dreams suck. Hopefully that comes across too. And Tadashi will probably have more in the future, so stay tuned for that! Weee! _

_Hopefully, since I have spring break coming up, Chapter 5 will come waaaay quicker than this one did. As always, comments and criticism are appreciated! Thank you for reading! _


End file.
